My Experience in Breastfeeding

By deciding that I want to exclusively breastfeed my baby, for at least the first 6 months, did change a lot, whether it's my lifestyle, my diet, my working schedule, my routine and even my clothing. It did bring a lot of challenges that i need to overcome. But the most challenging obstacle is other people's mindset. 
There are people who obviously simply love to choose to be negative in any way. These people once said to me: Kenapa nak bersusah-payah bf? kena ikut time waktu pumping. kan ada susu formula. They also scrutinized me by saying: Every pumping session took half-an-hour. You need 2 to 3 sessions the whole working period? 
To them, these are my answers : Every baby has their right to be fed with mother's milk. As a mom, you are obliged to sacrifice everything to nurse your baby, unless if there were some complication such as medical related reason. So, the answer is yes - i have to bersusah-payah for this, for the sake of my baby. Yes - i took more than 1 hour of my working time dedicated for pumping session. by doing that doesn't mean i couldn't finish my task on time (i do believe, you too, people, took a lot more than that, doing not-a-work-stuff : smoking break, chit-chatting, surf internet, etc..right?)
Here is something that i found which answered better to those people.

Why Work and Pump??(article found from this link)
By continuing to breastfeed after you return to work, you will:

• Provide the best nutrition for your baby
• Make it possible to keep breastfeeding when you are together
• Keep a special closeness to your baby even when you must be apart
• Save money
• Avoid the health risks associated with formula feeding
• Miss less work, because breastfed babies are sick less

From my experience with our first baby, Lissa, i managed to bf her for a lil more than a year, til i couldnt bf anymore due to my 2nd pregnancy. since it was tiring being pregnant (yes, i know, i shouldnt make it an excuse), my milk supply suddenly dropped. anyhow, i am proud of myself for those effort. and now, i am so determined to bf our 2nd baby, Hanie, insyaAllah, until she's 2.

Learning from mistake, i've just started stashing up ebm for Hanie when i got back to work after maternity leave. Previously for Lissa, i didnt hv any stocks left for her. what i pumped during the day would be her supply for the next day at nursery. 

From my previous entry, i wrote about the obstacle in breastfeeding (part 1 and part 2), especially facing people who hv very low exposure and knowledge about bf. also some happy moments when i could easily got 8 oz of milk in 1 session (it was very rare to me during bf Lissa).

Now, i already started my stocking up project for Hanie, i've to set in my mind and body that i am a hardworking-pumping mom..hehe

My stock on Friday, May 20th :

My stock by Tuesday, May 24th:

Finally, the lower compartment of my freezer already full.After this, my frozen ebm will be fighting over with fishes, chicken and beef.. hehe. Alhamdulillah, compared to previous experience bf Lissa, i finally collecting up to 18 bottles now. Hopefully, by end of my confinement leave, my ebm successfully outgrow any frozen food inside my freezer. yeay!
Looking up my colleague aka my Indahria-apartment-mate aka my mentor, mommy nadia, i finally started pumping vigorously ;) really impressed with her stocks, full in the freezer. you are definitely my inspiration, Nadia!! huhu
As for now, my baby, Hanie, does looking chubby and chubbier as day passed by.

Gigit kang pipi, baru tau! geram

My hubby said the other day: Yang! Tengok sini! Macam nak meletup la pipi Hanie ni..
kuang kuang kuang.. so funny!